


More than Friends

by Neverever



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 16:13:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18996088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever
Summary: Deputy Police Chief Tony Stark wonders if there is more to his flirting with the new Fire Chief Steve Rogers. After all, everyone treats them like they come as a matched set. Meanwhile Steve wants to find the serial arsonist in town.





	More than Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarthBloodOrange (DepressingGreenie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressingGreenie/gifts).
  * Inspired by [RBB 2019 - Team Tech [!Art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18989479) by [DarthBloodOrange (DepressingGreenie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressingGreenie/pseuds/DarthBloodOrange). 



> Written for the 2019 Captain America-Iron Man Reverse Big Bang. 
> 
> The work was inspired by DarthBloodOrange/DepressedGreenie's amazingly adorable and deeply emotional art of Police Office Tony and Fireman Steve. It was fun to work with the art and I really hope that you like the story.
> 
> Big thanks to my beta, Arms_plutonic who helped so so much.

“Free for takeout after shift?” Tony radioed Rhodey. “I’m done once I take Fuzzy back to the Nguyens.”

“That dog has escaped every day for the past week,” Rhodey’s voice crackled over the airwaves.

“Neighbor kid is bored, plays with him, and forgets to latch the gate. 8-year-old-kid-stuff.” Tony could imagine Rhodey rolling his eyes at him. But the seat-belted Fuzzy licked Tony’s ear from his perch in the passenger seat so that made up for it.

“Carol and I have plans.”

“Didn’t know she was back home.” Honestly, in that case, Tony wasn’t keen on joining Rhodey for dinner with his girlfriend. 

“Got in this morning. She’ll be glad to see Steve.”

“Steve?”

“Yeah, I figured Steve would be coming, since you asked about dinner.”

“I don’t know about that, he’s been busy lately.”

Fuzzy yipped. “Fuzzy agrees with me. Ask Steve,” said Rhodey.

“Alright, I’ll text you if Steve can come.”

Fire Chief Steve Rogers was the latest addition to the Timely fire crew. He had big shoes to fill since Old Man Fury retired last year to a condo in Mesa, Arizona. Hometown boy Tony still had a shock when he didn’t see the man in his accustomed chair in the Fire Chief’s office. Rhodey said Tony had only been fond of him because Fury gave him chocolate when he was a tiny Stark.

Tony’s family had lived in Timely over four generations ever since the city’s founding. And even though Tony had briefly escaped to go to college out of state, he came back and never left. The current Chief of Police Yinsen had encouraged Tony to go to the police academy when he told the old chief that he wanted to make a difference in the world after his mom passed. But as deputy police chief, Tony had been filling in more and more for Yinsen as the old chief fondly talked about retirement. He’d be a shoo-in to replace the old chief but honestly, Tony wasn’t ready yet.  
.  
Weirdly enough, Tony had known and been friends with Steve for a long time, but they had never lived in the same town together until recently. He met Steve a few years ago through Thor, who worked for the state department of forestry and fire protection. Steve was working in Colorado at the time, making his way west from the east coast. Timely, in western California, was his ultimate and, hopefully, final destination.

“We’re heading out at 7 sharp. Don’t be late for the couples date.”

Rhodey signed off before Tony could ask about the couples date comment. Sure, Steve and he were hanging out a lot lately, and he loved spending time with Steve. But it wasn’t like Steve was Tony’s exclusive, bestest friend or anything.

He returned Fuzzy home. And texted Steve. Steve sent back that he’d be home when Tony was off shift.

Driving past the public boat launch, Tony saw EMTs Clint and Natasha tending to a young boy breathing into a nebulizer. He pulled his police cruiser next to the ambulance. Clint and Natasha appeared to have it all under control, but one never knew.

“Be careful and if you’re wheezing, tell your mom right away,” Clint said to the kid as they released him to his anxious parents. Natasha handed them the information about the local hospital in case they needed it later.

“Anything I can help with?” Tony asked.

“Asthma attack. Should be okay now,” Nat explained.

Tony nodded as he took in the scene. A man and his family fishing on the dock, a couple of kids skipping stones into the lake. Three trucks with trailers parked to the side. Nothing much out of the ordinary on a sunny June day.

“When are you two heading out to San Francisco?” Tony asked.

“In a couple of hours, when we get off shift --”

“And finish up the paperwork,” Clint finished. Smiling, he nudged Natasha. “We’ve been looking forward to this long weekend for awhile.”

“Hope you have a good time.” 

“Being off-duty is all that we need right now. Roadtrip. No calls, no nothing,” Clint said.

Natasha slung her arm over Clint’s shoulders. “Beat the summer rush, last chance for a break ‘til after Labor Day. Maybe you and Steve can come next time.”

“What’s that?” Tony asked, pointing at the town trash cans by the porta-johns. The cans were scorched and dented and marked with “do not use” signs.

“Thought you’d have heard -- Sam and Bucky responded to the call about the cans on fire yesterday.”

Tony narrowed his eyes. Sounded way too familiar -- there had been about five fires set in trash cans around town in the past two months. Not a good thing in a California mining town. “Steve know about this?”

“Thought you would’ve already talked to Steve about it. Ask Sam and Bucky if Steve didn’t say anything,” Natasha replied.

Tony took a couple of pictures of the cans to add to his growing collection of odd arson events around town. He pondered the crime scene. Trash cans now, then there was that brush fire over by the gas station last week. Maybe a pattern was developing. “Hmmm. What?”

“Sam? Bucky?”

He shook his head. “Yeah, I’ll follow up on it. See you when you get back.”

~~~~~

“Want some lemonade?” Steve asked him, lifting the pitcher from the side table next to his chair.

After getting off shift and back in his civvies, Tony went to see Steve. He found Steve sitting on his front porch, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight reading a book. Steve had moved into one of the nice little Craftsman-style houses in a historic neighborhood not far from the fire station.

Tony sat down in the wicker chair on the other side of the table. “Sure. I can do that now that I’m off duty.”

Chuckling, Steve handed Tony a filled glass. “Living dangerously, Officer Stark.”

“That’s me, Danger Stark.” Tony sipped Steve’s tart lemonade, perfect on a hot June day. “You had two glasses here?”

“Hoping someone would stop by. And they did.”

Tony sat back in his surprisingly comfortable chair. “New chairs?”

“New to me. Sam’s redecorating now that he’s moved in with his girlfriend. By the way, we’re invited to their housewarming party. The weekend after Fourth of July.”

“Ever get the feeling that people assume we come as a matched set these days?”

“Sometimes.” Steve shrugged and drank his lemonade. “You and I do a lot of things together, and we’re all friends, so I can see why our friends would invite us both.”

“Hmmm.” The idea still nagged at Tony. Steve was right. Their friends had been inviting them to dinner, movies, cookouts, that March trip to Las Vegas, since Steve moved to town. But the way Rhodey just assumed Steve would be coming with Tony… “Guess that makes sense.”

Tony sank deeper into the chair cushion, the setting sun warm on his arms and legs, and inhaled the sweet smell of cut grass. He listened to the birds chirping and the distant sound of traffic a few streets over. He was feeling boneless and relaxed and he didn’t want to bring up joining Rhodey and Carol for dinner since that meant he’d have to move, get off this porch, and give up sitting next to Steve and his lemonade. 

But he couldn’t leave Rhodey hanging. “I didn’t get back to Rhodey about you and me meeting up with him and Carol for dinner.”

“Oh, we could do that. I’d like to see Carol.” Steve checked his phone. “When?”

“Sevenish.”

Tony texted Rhodey. “We’re on.”

“How was your day?” he asked Steve.

Steve was also leaning back in his chair, a slight smile tugging on his lips. “A lot of sitting around. Which is how it should be. Wildfire season is coming.”

“Talking about wildfires -- what’s the deal with the trash cans at the public boat launch?”

Steve furrowed his brow. “Fifth trash can fire in the past two months.”

“I know!” Tony sat up and pulled out his phone. “I’ve been collecting photos.”

Steve took the phone and Tony watched his fingers flicker over the screen as he pulled up Tony’s photos. Tony loved Steve’s big, clever hands and the slight frisson he got whenever their hands brushed by accident. He leaned over to point out a picture, knocking knees with Steve and nearly upending the lemonade. Steve gave him one of his patented gorgeous smiles. “Careful there or you’ll end up with a lapful of lemonade.”

A vision of Steve mopping up spilt lemonade from his lap would forever be an inspiration to Tony. “Okay. Fires. Let’s talk about the fires.”

“You know -- there’s one more thing.”

“Oh?”

“I got a tip that Roxxon is illegally storing chemicals in their warehouses. Hope hasn’t been able to document anything filed with the city or on her inspections of the warehouse. The feds won’t step in unless we have more proof. ”

“We could make an impromptu visit --”

“I did that. Warehouse was clean -- Roxxon could have been tipped off.”

Tony pocketed his phone. He had been worried about an arson setting off another massive wildfire. This was worse, much worse. “Tell me more.”

~~~~~

Steve had warned Tony that Roxxon had thrown up roadblocks to any further investigation. Tony spent the next week working through the evidence with detective Pepper. “I’m more used to tracking down porch pirates and stolen cars,” she admitted. “Roxxon is a bit out of our league.”

Tony looked at the pile of city inspection reports, police reports, fire reports, fire inspection reports, city contracts, zoning board appeals and all other possible bureaucratic reports, licenses, and city council meetings minutes and transcripts. “If Roxxon is involved in shady dealings, people could be in danger if a warehouse blows up.”

“I’ll try to find a trail. But we’ll need substantial proof to make anything stick.”

Tony didn’t trust Roxxon any more than Steve did, and they needed to make sure people were safe and weren’t going to lose life, limb, or home because of an explosion or worse.

~~~~~ 

Tourists were pouring into town now that it was June and schools were letting out. Tony was busy handling dozens of little problems -- managing traffic around a fender bender downtown, responding to emergency calls at the lake, fixing a flat tire. But he felt at odds and ends. Steve had gone away for a couple of days to a conference.

Tony’s cheeseburger was going cold. If Steve were in town, he would have texted Tony a dozen times by now. Silly jokes, observations on the weather and trees, commentary about an article Steve read online that got him angry. 

Rhodey flicked a fry at Tony. “Stop moping over Steve. He’s in Los Angeles for a couple of days -- he even got a ride back on Hope’s dad’s plane so he’s not even driving back.”

“I’m not missing Steve,” Tony mumbled.

“Carol gets called up by the National Guard a few months at a time and I don’t mope — and I live with her.”

Tony wrapped up his lunch and tossed the whole thing into the trash. “I have to get back to the station and check in with Pepper about the arson investigation.”

Though he lived in Timely, Bruce Banner worked for the state forensics lab. Steve had talked him into taking an interest in the arson cases. “Got anything for us?” Tony asked him.

Bruce said, “I’ve sent you all my reports and observations. It’s the same MO for all the fires -- a common accelerant, a little tinder, most evidence destroyed in the fire. I did find some unburned paper and a container -- I’ve pulled fingerprints off that evidence and sent the prints out for matching. Though we’ll be lucky to get a match.”

“Every little bit helps.”

~~~~~

Regardless of what he’d said to Rhodey earlier, Tony went to pick up Steve at the local private airport in the red convertible that Steve loved. Leaning against the car in his sunglasses and reading his phone, he waited for Steve to deplane and come out with his wheelie bag. 

Steve waved at him. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said. He threw his bag into the back seat and looked inquisitively at Tony.

“I’m not letting you drive. You’re murder on a stick shift. I was barely able to resurrect your motorcycle and I’m the best backyard mechanic you know.”

Steve trailed his fingers along the hood, giving Tony the puppy dog eyes. “I promise to be good.”

“Nyah. I’ve heard that before.” But Tony was weakening already. “Fine -- I’m going to regret this.” He tossed the keys to Steve, who eagerly hopped in the driver’s seat.

Steve was a fast driver, taking the curves in the road back to Timely like a champ. He grinned all the way. Tony might have chosen this car instead of his daily driver because Steve was secretly a car guy, despite the motorcycle, and the front seats were so close that he wouldn’t be able to avoid touching Steve. Not that Steve ever made an effort to pull away from Tony.

“You look good,” Steve said out of the blue as he slowed down for the traffic in town.

“What?”

“The sunglasses and the hair.” Steve waved a hand in Tony’s general direction. “Nice to have someone waiting for me.”

“Yeah, you know, friend stuff.”

“Friend stuff,” Steve repeated. 

But Tony felt slightly gutted when Steve said it. Like he’d prefer if Steve called whatever they were something else.

~~~~~

Tony sent out a reminder of the holiday shift schedule he and Rhodey worked out for coverage for Fourth of July. This year Hope and Scott were hosting the big annual Fire-Police-EMT Fourth of July get-together at their house. People would stop by for a few hours before or after shifts. Tony had drawn the evening shift for the city’s fireworks and concert event in the station lottery. After they had finished, Rhodey reminded Tony that he still owed Sam and Bucky pizza from the bet at the Memorial Day volleyball game.

Sharon waved at Tony as he lugged his armful of pizza into the fire station.

“Where’s Sam and Bucky?” 

She craned her neck to look around the office area behind the front desk. “They’re around here somewhere. Unless they’re out back grilling.”

Tony left the pizza in the kitchen and decided to check around the station before going out back. He didn’t have time to get dragged into a grilling contest. He heard a noise from the locker room. 

What he expected in the locker room was either Sam or Bucky. What he ran into was the naked backside of a Greek Adonis. Tony had been in a rush and hadn’t seen the guy and next thing he knew he walked right into him. Although the guy did own one amazing naked backside and Tony had not seen an ass like that outside of tasteful art. Or porn. 

“Sorry,” he said.

“My fault,” Steve responded.

Tony was gobsmacked. He had never seen Steve like this. He had the general awareness that Steve was hot. But this was a revelation that gut punched Tony about just how hot Steve was.

Damn, Steve was almost completely naked except for the towel around his waist. Dripping wet from the shower, Steve was gorgeous, too gorgeous for words. Tony hoped he wasn’t standing there with an open mouth and drooling. “There’s pizza in the kitchen,” he blurted. “From Jarvis’ Pizza.”

Steve thumped his shoulder. “Best place in town. I have that on good authority.”

“Huh?”

“That’s what you told me when I first moved here.”

“Right.”

Tony didn’t know where to look. Straight ahead, all he saw was Steve’s ribbed chest. Looking down ... he’d see the hints of the Rogers family jewels. Glancing up he’d be captured by Steve’s amazing blue eyes. Look anywhere, and he’d still get drawn back to Steve.

Steve smiled at Tony fondly. “I’ll get dressed and join you.” He turned to his locker.

“Do you need to get dressed to eat pizza?” Tony hoped to hell he hadn’t said that out loud. 

Sharon’s voice came over the intercom. “Steve? Report in -- Fire reported at Timely Elementary.”

All-business, Steve rapidly pulled his station uniform on. “Do you think that’s our arsonist?”

“Possibly. It fits the profile.”

“Let’s go see.”

“Good thing it’s summer vacation and no kids, not even summer school.”

Steve stopped in his tracks. “This isn’t -- this isn’t playing around any more. It’s escalating just like you predicted.”

~~~~~

Steve and his crew handled the elementary school fire in record time. No permanent damage to the school. Tony and Rhodey did crowd control while Sam and Bucky coiled the hoses and shut off the hydrant. Steve, in his yellow turnout gear, his face smudged with smoke, tapped Tony’s shoulder. “Let’s take a look at the fire site.”

“I need to tape off the scene,” Tony said. “We’ve got an audience.”

“Because it’s a school.” Steve pulled his helmet off and brushed back his hair. 

“The newly renovated school. This seems just like the other fires.” Tony had Steve help him tape off the scene. “We’ll need Bruce here to do the arson investigation.”

Sam trudged over to where Steve and Tony were standing. “Steve, you need us for anything? We’re packed up,” Sam said. “I don’t like this one bit. All we need is a small fire like this come August and the rest of the state goes up in flames.”

“I know.” 

Tony looked around the site, at the school and the buildings beyond. “There’s a Roxxon office building right there -- on the property next to the school.”

“It keeps coming back to them,” Steve said. “This could have been a mistake.”

“The arsonist meant to set a fire next to the office building, not the school? It’s hard to mistake them,” Sam said.

Tony shook his head. “No. It might be more complicated than that -- look at where the parking lot is -- next to the Roxxon lot, right? What if the arsonist wants us to think that Roxxon set the fire by accident?”

“Hell of a news story -- multinational corporation burns down small town elementary school,” Steve said, his eyes narrowing. 

“I know Roxxon employs a lot of people in town, but I don’t want to feel sympathy for that company,” Sam observed.

“Can’t be that complicated,” Steve concluded.

“Maybe,” Tony concluded. “But we’ve got to stop this.”

~~~~~

[]()

[](https://66.media.tumblr.com/e4ea4c58c359b18528821456c02b5c7e/tumblr_ps670vplXM1vpu7p7o1_1280.png)

Tony soon began finding reasons to stop by the Fire Station, specifically Steve’s office, before, during and after his shifts. Stupid, silly, transparent reasons and arson investigation reasons. Still, those reasons got him into that empty seat across from Steve’s desk, where he could look at Steve and not appear to be ridiculously staring or drooling or whatever embarrassing thing he was likely to do around Steve these days.

Steve smiled brightly at him every single time, dropping whatever work he was doing to talk to Tony. They even had lunch together a couple of times at Steve’s desk, with Tony bringing in takeout and smoothies. 

Sharon and Bucky were talking at the front desk as Tony sailed in with lunch for Steve. Bucky arched an eyebrow at him. “This is new.”

“What? Steve and I have an investigation going on,” Tony replied cheerfully. 

Bucky rolled his eyes. “You don’t need an appointment to flirt with Steve. You were already doing that 24/7.”

“I’m not flirting with Steve. We have to coordinate coverage for the fireworks.”

“Suurrreee, you aren’t. Anyway, remind Steve to bring the beer when you guys come over to Sam’s later.”

Whatever, seeing Steve was the brightest spot in his life and he would just ignore Bucky. “Steve, I got Chinese like you asked,” he said, walking into Steve’s office.

~~~~~

Timely always put on one heck of a fireworks show on the Fourth of July. Fundamentally it was probably a bad idea given how dry the summers could get. Roxxon always donated the complete cost of the show, including the extra emergency personnel shifts. But everyone always had a good time, lots of local organizations raised a lot of money for their causes, and mostly the show went off without a hitch.

“Guess it’s you and me, tonight,” Tony said to Wanda as he passed the dispatch office. He had stopped by the station to change into uniform after Scott and Hope’s cookout.

“Yeah. Keep it safe out there,” she said. “I got a date with Victor later and I don’t want to miss it.” Wanda’s boyfriend was breaking into the regional dance scene as DJ Viz, complete with modified robot costume. Tony didn’t quite see it, but, admittedly, he wasn’t into EDM either. 

“Catch you later,” he said, heading out to his patrol car. 

Tony was more than happy to cover the fireworks. He’d grown up going to the Fourth of July concert and fireworks, missing only a couple when he stayed back East for summer internships. The forecast was for clear night skies and Tony couldn’t imagine better weather for the fireworks. 

He made his way over to the volunteer tent. The city arranged for a small army of volunteers to manage traffic and the vendor tent area. Tony checked in with Mayor Maria Hill about the operations. “I won’t be happy until tonight’s over and we haven’t set the city on fire,” she said.

“We haven’t set the city on fire in the past fifty years.”

“There’s always a first time, Tony.”

The EMTs had set up a station on between the vendor tents and the event area. They had been the busiest all day with kids getting dehydrated from the soccer tournament, sunburns and the occasional twisted ankle. Carol was in charge of the EMT tent for now. She hadn’t made it to the cookout.

“I’m waiting for Clint to take over,” she said to Tony. “Then I’m going home and sleeping for ten hours.”

“That bad?”

Carol sighed. “Soccer tournament, art show, concert and fireworks. Anything could and did happen. No heart attacks though, so I beat my record from last year.”

Steve laughed from behind Tony. “Tough day, Danvers.” He was in his official Fire Chief uniform.

“You deal with the 4-H Club petting zoo fallout and then we’ll talk, Rogers. Happy birthday, by the way.”

Steve and Tony walked away from the tent. “This is how you’re spending your birthday?” Tony asked. “You didn’t have to cover tonight.”

“Actually, we have more coverage than usual because of the fireworks. The Public Works guys do a good job but we have to make sure that nothing gets set on fire.”

They walked through the vendor area and headed towards the temporary stage for the concert. Local college orchestra would play in about an hour followed by the fireworks show. Steve thought they were pretty good and was looking forward to the Sousa medleys.

“I have to check on the preparations for the fireworks. Meet you back here for the concert?” Steve asked.

“Sure.”

They sat to the side of the audience full of tired parents with wired children impatient for the fireworks. Tony felt a little odd as people came up to say hello and make small talk with Steve and him, like they were the unofficial monarchs of the Timely Fourth of July celebration. Still, Tony found time to joke and talk with Steve.

Steve kept stealing side glances at Tony during the concert. Then Tony reached out to hold Steve’s hand during the patriotic songs part of the program. And Steve didn’t take it back. 

Perfect night, Tony thought. Couldn’t get any better.

“My mom liked to tell me that the fireworks were for me on my birthday,” Steve said when the concert ended. “I’ve always liked fireworks.”

“Can you stay to watch them?”

“Part of the job,” Steve replied. 

Around them, people were buying food, drinks and snacks while they waited for the skies to darken for the fireworks. Little kids were swinging light sticks and running around. Families were setting up blankets and chairs. 

“I have to make another round of the area,” Tony said.

“Find me -- I have the perfect spot to watch from.”

Steve’s perfect spot was on a small rise a little distance away from the main crowd. He’d already set out a couple of folding chairs on a blanket and a cooler as a table for their sodas. Tony settled into his chair. “When’s the kickoff?”

“About fifteen minutes.”

“Good.” Tony turned to Steve. “Get any good presents for your birthday?”

“Not really. Hope’s cake was nice.”

“I have a present for you --” Tony hoped to the bottom of his heart that he wasn’t reading any of this wrong as he leaned towards Steve, aiming for his mouth. He kissed him, a nice soft kiss, a perfect kiss. He felt Steve’s lips curl into a smile. 

“What took you so long?” Steve asked.

“As long as you took,” Tony replied with a laugh. 

Steve moved out of his chair to sit on the blanket, nudging Tony to join him. Tony nestled in beside Steve. “Great idea, Rogers.”

“Oh?”

“Easier to kiss you now.”

They exchanged a few more kisses, each one becoming more heated after the other. Until the first whistling rocket shot into the the sky. Steve put his arm around Tony’s shoulders, tugging him close, as they watched the bursts of red, white, blue, orange and yellow in the starry night sky. And kissing in between bursts.

Before the finales, Steve whispered to him. “When are you off duty?”

“As soon as the volunteers pack up and the last car goes.” He squeezed Steve’s hand. “Are you pouting?”

“Can’t keep sneaking kisses because we’ll get caught.”

Tony snickered. “Oh, the horror and scandal. Fire chief caught kissing the deputy chief of police. What ever will we do?”

“We have to confirm that the fireworks are totally out. Then I’m off. Meet me back at my house?”

“Your house?”

“I have a bigger bed than you do.”

Tony’s blood raced with that simple comment. He kissed Steve again, tipping Steve’s chin towards him and wrapping an arm around Steve’s solid waist. “How can I possibly turn that down?”

Steve reluctantly unwound himself from Tony’s arms. He kissed Tony’s forehead. “See you in a couple of hours.”

Tony impatiently waited for the last of the cars to pull out of the parking lot. He drove young officer Peter Parker back to the station so Peter could finish his shift and Tony could clock out. In the locker room, he took a shower and changed into a t-shirt and shorts. He took a deep breath. This was finally happening, it really was.

Steve had left the porch lights on for Tony. He answered the door as soon as Tony stepped onto the porch. “You came,” Steve said with obvious relief.

“I’m not the type of guy to stand someone up,” Tony replied. He looked up at Steve, who pulled him into his house and into his arms for a passionate kiss. 

“I’m going to rock your world,” Tony told him.

“I’m ready for it,” Steve said, sweeping a heated look over Tony. They raced up the stairs to Steve’s room, tearing off their clothes as they went.

~~~~~

“Hey, Tony, awake yet?” Steve asked.

Tony rolled over and bumped into Steve. “Hmmm, what?”

Steve kissed his nose, then his mouth, running a hand through his hair. “Ready for breakfast?”

“Sure, yeah.” Tony propped himself up on his elbow, wondering where his shorts went last night. “Not sure what’s open in town but --”

Steve chuckled. “Breakfast in bed. Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. Unless you --?”

“Perfect. It’s perfect.”

Tony sat up against the pillows he had to retrieve from the floor. He was grateful that the morning sun didn’t come through Steve’s windows. Nice bedroom, he supposed, when the floor wasn’t littered with the comforter, sheets, clothes and pillows. He snuggled into the last blanket left on the bed and checked his phone for texts.

Steve came through the door with a over-laden tray. He carefully set the tray on the bed and offered Tony coffee. 

“You know how I like my coffee,” Tony said in awe. 

“I’ve, ah, thought about this a lot. What I would make you for breakfast if I ever got you here.” Steve slowly sat down on the bed so as not to upset the tray. 

“You’ve thought about this?”

Steve picked up his plate with eggs and bacon. “Um, it’s a recent thing. When I went to that conference in Los Angeles. I wondered what it would be like to come home to you -- you picked me up and I hoped that maybe we would end up here someday.”

“Steve -- I -- well. I’ve been thinking the same way.”

“You’ve been a great friend and maybe it would be even better if we were more, you know? …. If that’s what you’re looking for too.” Steve was biting his lower lip, like he was nervous about what Tony would say.

Tony smiled at him. “Hell yeah.”

Steve leaned in like he was going to give Tony a kiss. “Wait -- we should have told someone where we are.”

“Something tells me that our friends already know where we went after the fireworks. It’s just a matter of whether we went to your place or mine.”

Steve dipped his head a little and laughed quietly. “Yeah, that’s -- that’s what they’re thinking.” He reached out and tangled his fingers in Tony’s hair. “What are you doing the rest of the day? I have the day off.”

Both of their phones suddenly rang loudly. They scrambled to grab the phones with Steve taking Tony’s and Tony Steve’s. Steve threw Tony’s over to him and he passed Steve’s over to him.

“Tony?” Wanda asked. “There’s a fire at the Roxxon warehouses.” Tony locked eyes with Steve, who was hearing the same message. 

Steve balanced the phone on his shoulder as he rushed around the room grabbing clothes. Tony pulled on his shorts and t-shirt.

“I’ll take you to the fire station, Steve,” Tony offered.

Steve didn’t even wait for Tony to make a full stop with the car before he opened the door. 

“Be safe, Steve,” Tony said, but wasn’t sure if Steve heard him.

~~~~~

Tony stopped to put on his uniform before he raced over to the warehouse in his police cruiser, sirens and lights on full blast. The whole city seemed to be filled with sirens and lights as emergency personnel headed to the fire. Steve had apparently called in firefighters from the neighboring districts.

Wanda’s clipped voice came over the radio reporting the state and condition of the fire. No reported injuries yet because it was unclear how many people had been in the warehouse, if any. All police and fire and EMT were present. Concern that water pressure was getting low.

Tony parked his car. Rhodey was getting the crowd under control and telling the police to push the spectators back to make room for the arriving EMTs and fire engines. New police officer Peter had been sent to reroute traffic away from the industrial park. “Where’s Steve?” Tony called to Rhodey.

“Last I saw he was talking with Sam and Bucky.”

Tony found Sam. “What’s going on?”

The earth shook and a blast of hot air hit them as one side of the building exploded. 

“What the hell!” Tony shouted.

Sam said grimly, “Steve said that this was going to happen with Roxxon. As far as we know, everyone has been evacuated. It’s going to be touch and go for another hour until we get control of the fire.”

“Where’s Steve?”

“Can’t raise him on the radio.”

“That’s not good!” Tony took a deep breath. Steve was excellent at his job, he had years of experience, he’d risen to Captain in the Army. He had to trust that Steve was doing his best. But Tony couldn’t ignore that sinking feeling he had. He’d seen Steve in action before, and no one could miss him directing the emergency response. Maybe Steve was in the building looking for trapped people. That’s what had to be happening.

Tony picked his way around the emergency scene, answering questions and issuing orders. No sign of Steve. The firefighters poured water and foam into the building to stop the fire. Tony reached the site of the explosion. The exterior wall had blown out, sending rubble, broken boxes, canisters and office equipment onto the grassy area next to the building.

And a person. A person in yellow firefighter gear lying under the rubble. 

Steve.

Tony knew it was Steve from the helmet and the reflective straps on his gear. 

Steve wasn’t moving. 

“Man down,” Tony reported into the radio strapped to his shoulder. “I repeat, Rogers is down and in need of help.”

Bucky shouted “Fuck” over the radio.

Tony sank down on his knees and gingerly examined Steve. He had enough EMT training to know what to do and not to do. And, god, did he want to pull Steve into his arms and make sure he was breathing and safe. “Steve,” he gasped out. “Steve, can you hear me?”

Steve was unconscious and breathing shallowly. He looked unnaturally pale. All Tony could think about was how Steve had shone in his bedroom that morning, all golden skin, bright eyes and wide smiles. Steve, who had admired the fireworks, laughed at Tony’s jokes, shared his ice cream. Steve, bigger and larger than life itself.

Tony didn’t even know how much he loved Steve until he saw Steve unresponsive on the grass covered in building debris. 

[](https://66.media.tumblr.com/00b8d3df1c0f6bd2bfe6c004fe0a2b3e/tumblr_ps670vplXM1vpu7p7o2_1280.png)

Carol and Nat rushed up with a stretcher. Clint was probably trailing them in the ambulance.

“Tony, we have to --” Nat said gently.

“Tony, you need to get out of the way,” Carol said.

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t let Steve go. He sat frozen in place, tears gathering in his eyes. “Steve. Come on, wake up.”

“Rhodey, get here now and take care of Tony,” Carol radioed.

Natasha tugged him back away from Steve’s body. Tony sat in a daze, holding Steve’s helmet that had been knocked off his head with the blast. He watched Carol and Natasha deftly check Steve’s vitals. Other EMTs arrived with a body board and they all hoisted Steve onto the stretcher.

Tony had an out-of-body experience as he clutched Steve’s helmet as they wheeled Steve’s body to the ambulance. He felt Rhodey’s hand on his shoulder as he dissolved into tears.

“Okay, Tony, Scott’s going to take you to the hospital.”

“I can’t. I have to find the arsonist. Now. They have to pay,” Tony said angrily.

“No. Steve needs you now.”

“We had a date last night. Our first date. Everything was great. Now he’s dying.”

“Tony. Okay, Scott’s here.”

Tony had no memory of how he actually got to the hospital. He knew that Scott drove him, that they followed the ambulance, and that they said nothing until Scott brought him to the ER. He couldn’t stay with Tony since he had to go back to the fire. Tony was left by himself in the waiting room.

[](https://66.media.tumblr.com/74ddb884c29a8874a5a2d7715bcbcd26/tumblr_ps670vplXM1vpu7p7o3_1280.png)

He couldn’t stop crying. Twelve hours ago, he’d been sitting hand in hand with Steve watching fireworks explode in the sky.

How had Steve become his everything in twelve hours? 

Natasha came in to talk with him. She hadn’t left like he had assumed. “They’re going to have to airlift Steve to Sacramento, Tony. They can’t treat him here.”

“Is he going to make it, Nat?” Tony gulped and wiped tears from his face. He could do this if he had to. He just desperately wanted not to.

“He’s alive. He’s had a severe concussion and they’re worried about brain swelling. He’s got smoke inhalation but no burns. Broken bones. Internal injuries.” She nodded sadly. “They don’t have the trauma facilities to take care of him here.”

Tony clapped his hand over his mouth, trying not to burst into tears again. “Okay. I see.”

“You’re going with him.”

“I can’t -- I’m needed back --”

“Steve needs you.” She took one of Tony’s hands in hers. “You’re all he has.”

Tony looked at her. “Nat. Contrary to what you might think, we haven’t been dating. We had our first date last night.”

“That doesn’t matter, Tony. You’ve been joined at the hip for months -- you might as well as have been dating all this time considering all the flirting and couple-y stuff. The rest of us will handle the clean-up.”

“I — I don’t know if we even locked Steve’s house when we left! -- And we have to catch the person who did this --”

“Tony. We’ll handle it for you. We’re your friends, it will be okay. I’ll send Clint down to the hospital with some of your things.”

A tech stepped into the waiting room. “Deputy Chief Stark? Time to go — the helicopter is here.”

~~~~~

They let Tony stay with Steve. More accurately, they let Tony sit outside Steve’s room in ICU. As long as he could see Steve breathing, Tony was content to sit outside his room.

The first twenty-hours were critical for Steve’s recovery. Time passed like a blur for Tony when he drifted in and out of a light doze in his chair, when he tried to choke down some cafeteria food, and when he read through texts and listened to the voicemails from everyone back in Timely. Rhodey and Pepper were spearheading the investigation, based on what Steve and Tony had discovered already. Rhodey refused to let him know more than that.

Clint filled him in on the rest when he arrived later that afternoon. There unexpectedly had been no one in the warehouse that day. The site manager had given everyone the day off, even the cleaning crew. If he hadn’t, there would have been twenty people in critical danger. The only casualty had been Steve.

“It’s the risk of the job,” Tony said. He hadn’t quite managed to eat the rubbery piece of cheese pizza in front of him yet. “Anyone of us could get killed at any time. Changing a tire on the highway at night or a car accident.”

“Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt like hell when it happens,” Clint said.

“It’s Steve. He got through his service in the army without a scratch and then this freak accident happens.”

“You mean the accident at the Roxxon warehouse where they were stashing paint thinner, turpentine, cell phone batteries and other explosive materials without proper storage?”

Tony paused a second. “You’ve got a point.”

“Steve was right about the warehouse after all.”

“You doubted him?”

“No. But you know what I mean.” Clint’s phone buzzed. “Nat’s on her way here.”

Natasha booked a hotel room near the hospital and made Tony go sleep there overnight. “Steve will still be here in the morning.” Tony wasn’t going to forgive himself if Steve wasn’t there. But Natasha and Clint weren’t above handcuffing him to a bed to make him sleep.

In the morning, the nurses let Tony spend a little time sitting next to Steve in his room as long as he left his phone behind. Steve seemed to have a little color in his face now and his hand was warm as Tony held it. Tony hated the constant hums and beeps from the machines Steve was hooked up to and the whole purpose for him being there.

He blinked and swore that Steve moved. Then Steve opened his eyes a crack. “Tony. You’re here,” he said, his voice rough and cracking.

“Steve,” Tony exhaled.

“How --”

“I love you. I almost lost you and I love you.”

Steve smiled at Tony as best he could. “Best thing you could say,” he croaked.

“It’s going to be alright. Don’t talk.”

“I -- I love you --”

“Shhhh. I know, and it’s going to be great.” Tony rubbed the back of Steve’s hand with his thumb. “It’s going to be greater than great.”

~~~~~

“Your physical therapist says you’re pushing too hard again,” Tony said to Steve. They were sitting at the table in Steve’s sun-filled kitchen. Tony had unfastened his necktie and taken off his suit coat. Testifying in court had its drawbacks.

“I’m ready to get back into action,” Steve grumped right back. “I’m tired of riding the desk.”

“Not much longer, right? As soon as you pass your physical. You’re damn lucky. It’s only been a couple of months, and, really, it’s the concussion that’s holding you back, not your shoulder. You told me you liked the art therapy.”

Steve smiled sheepishly. “So how was court today?”

With assistance from Steve, Bruce, Rhodey and Pepper, Tony had uncovered the arsonist, Jack Rollins, a disgruntled Roxxon employee who was trying to frame the company for fires in Timely. Roxxon, appropriately, was fined for their many, many workplace violations, although Tony figured those could easily be paid for out of Roxxon’s petty cash drawer.

“Awful. Jack had good ideas about bringing attention to Roxxon’s violations but a piss-poor plan for doing that. They’re working out a plea deal.” He stood up and opened the refrigerator considering what to heat up for dinner.

“Good. Sam came by earlier.”

“With another casserole?” Tony flinched at the thought. The refrigerator and freezer were overflowing with casseroles lovingly made by the emergency personnel of Timely for Steve. And Tony, who had stayed over the first night when Steve came home and never really left. They hadn’t had to grocery shop for weeks.

Steve had an equally flinchy reaction. “No. He brought clean laundry, a Nintendo Switch, and snack food. He also took away all the empty casserole dishes and storage containers. We’ll sort them at the station tomorrow.”

“A Switch? Who is that for -- him, me, or my boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend now?” Steve hugged Tony from behind. “Nice to hear that news.”

“Yeah, well. We’ve got to eat whatever Wanda made at some point.” He reached for a Tupperware container.

“I guess you are my boyfriend since you have a couple of drawers in my room and half the closet and a toothbrush and shaving kit in the bathroom.” Steve kissed Tony’s ear.

“You’re lucky I left you closet space.” Tony knew he was never going to take Steve snuggles for granted again. 

“I could take my boyfriend out to dinner to celebrate,” Steve said.

Tony tossed the container back in the fridge and shut the door. “Oh, please, anywhere. I can’t eat another casserole.”

“I love you too, Tony.”


End file.
